Shaft-coupling.



" L. E. BLANCHARDL SHAFT COUPLING. APPLICATION man MAYIB, 1910.

I Patented. Feb. 29, 1916.

IT-JCJ 527C or",

- the instrument with a Wheel of an autois yieldingly backed up by a suitable spring,

, UNITED sTA'r s PATENT OFFIQE.

LEON BLANCHARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO EDWARD 'r; nEwroN,

OF HOLYQKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

' SHAFT-commas.

To all 1071072?) it may concern I Be it known that I, Lnon E. BLANC ARD,

a citizen of the United States, residingin" Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shaft-Couplings, of which-.the fol-= lowing-description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like. letters on the drawings .;1'epresenting 'likeparts.

s This invention relates .to a novel clutch rcop'pling device, which is especially designed and adapted for use on speedometers for' connecting the main or governor shaft of the instrument with the flexible driving shaft commonly employed fQnconnecting mobile or other vehicle.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple, efficient and durable-clutehwith which-the flexible driving shaft can; be'automatically coupled to'the main or governor shaft of the, instrument-in a minimum time and with the least possible labor, on-the partof the operator, whereby inexperienced per-'- sons, can easily effect the connection, nd whereby danger of injuring or derangin ithe speedometer when connecting the-fie, ble shaft thereto is avoided. .To thiseii'd; I employ a clutch comprising a. female member in the form of a sliding sleeve provided atone end with a transverse slot, and

a. male member consisting of a lug or nose. piece, which 'is adapted to enter the trans,

verse'slot in the sleeve. The sliding sleeve Which'normally forces the sleeve against a fixed stop andinto position to-beengaged by the cooperating member, which is made to engage the end of the sleeve and force thesame back against the action "of: the" spring, until in the rotation of one of said members, the slot and nose piece-register,

r together.

whereupon the spring forces the sleeve for Ward and causes the nose piece to enter the slot .andthereby couple the two members The invention is especially adapted for use; with a flexible shafthaving a practically fi-xed relation to its inclosing casing and the coupling employed to socuresaid casing to r. the casing of the speedometer, inasmuch as the yielding member of the clutch enables the coupling to be screwed into the casing of the instrument without danger of the Specification tr Letters latent t te 29, 19 4; Application filed May 18, 1910. Serial No. 561,978.

head of the flexible shaft moving the governor shaft ofthe instrument out of its proper position.

These and othe'r features of this invention will-be pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents in elevation a suit"- ficient' portion of a speedometer and a flexi- -"ble=shaft coupled thereto by-a clutch embodying this invention, to enable it to be 6 understood. Fig. 2, a detail in longitudinal section on "an enlarged scale to be referred to. Fig. 3, a detail to be referred-to. Fig.

' 4, a modification to be referred to. Fig. 5, a detail of theshaft shown in Fig. 4, and

.Fig. 6, a 'detail of the slotted sleeve.

' Referring to the drawing, a represents Q-the main or governorshaft of a speedomfieter, which maybe of any suitable or desired construction, and b the flexible shaft, which is now commonly usedto connect the shaft a with the. front wheel 'of'anautomobile or,

other vehicle whose speed it is desired to measure In order that the flexible shaft 6 maybdlorinegzted with the governor shaft a'quickly and easily and also by inexperi- "ehced as well as experienced persons, and

' without danger of injuring the instrument,

"Ifihave provided a'clutch of novel construcfti-on, which has provision for automatic engagement of the said shafts and also has provision for movement of one of the clutch memb ersi='longitudinally with relation to the other, as will be described. The clutch hereiirfshown as embodying this invention Q -is provided with a female member. in the 'form of a sleeve c'having at one end preferably diametricallyopposite slots (1, 6, (see Fig. 6), which extend longitudinally of the sleeve for a portion of its length. The slots (2, a, may beicohsidered and will be: hereinafter referred to as a single slot.

The male member of the clutch is made as a projection or 'nose piece 7 (see Fig. 3), which is adapted to enter the slot in the sleeve '0, and which is provided at its end a with a-flat or square face 10 to engage the end of the said sleeve.-

In Fig. 2, the sleeve 0 is shown as mounted on the end of the governor shaft 11 beyond one of the hangers 12 for the said shaft, and said sleeve has its slotted end normally projected beyond the-end of the governor shaft by a-helical spring 13, which is interposed between the rear or unslotted end of the sleeve and the cone 14 shaft. Theslotted sleeve is guided in its longitudinal movement on the governor shaft (1. by a pin-15 extended transversely through the said'shaft and entering one or both of the diametrically opposite slots 61 1,63, the said pin also serving-as a stop to limit the forward movement of the sleeve by the spring 13:

present instance is shown in. Figsf-Q as forming the projecting end of a. sleeve 16 fitted onto and constituting a, head 01 hp for the flexible shaft b'to revolve as'a part -parts thereof in any suitable manner and as now commonly practised.

The nose piece f as herein shown is made of a width substantiallv equal to the dl'. umeter of the sleeve 0, andits fiat or square face 10. is designed toabut against the square or flat end 18 of the sleeve soasto turn freely against the 'Same,: andinde pendently thereof, until the saidnose piece" registers with the slots (1,0, in the sleeve, whereupon the partsare in position to' be coupled by longitudinal movement o=the said sleeve on the governor shaft under the influenceof the sprin 13. f .5 v

When it is desired focouple the flexibl clutch members arranged as shown inrFigJ 2, the operator. forces the nose piece f) against the sleeve 0 so as tomove the same" back on its shaft a and therebycompres's v the spring 13, and the flexible shaft is then turned until the end of the nose piece brought into register with the slots 4,0, in the sleeve 0, whereupon the spring 13 moves the sleeve forward over the nose piece cind thereby automatically ;couples or, clutches:- thelflevible shaft and the governor shaft to get 181'.

The flexible shaft 12 has'a. practically fixed relation against movement within its iii-g closing casing 20 and the coupling. member.

employed tosecure the casing 29 to the casing 22 of the instrument, for the purpose-1 of preventing accidental disenghgement-ofthe flexible shaft from the governor shaft, as, for instance, by stretching of the casing. 20, which fixed relationis effected as here-Z carried by the screwed into the member 28', the slee've c is forced back on the governor shaftuntil the nose piece 7 enters the slots d, e, after which further movement of the coupling member 21 moves the nose piece 7 toward the governor shaft a, which is arranged with relation to-the casing. of the. instrument, so that the coupling member 21 is set up before the. nose ,piecef reaches the governor shaft. Thenose piece or male member if in the and 3,-'

In. ig. 2, the sleeve 0 is shown as located on' the governor shaft and the nose piece 7 on the flexible shaft, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect, as said maybe reversed-as shown in Fig.4, wherein the nose piece f is attached to the governor shaft a, and th'sleeve 0 and spring 13 are-mounted on the head or tip 16 of'the flexible shaft 6.

I prefer'to provide the sleeve c'with two slots cl, e diametrically opposite and to make thenose piece'f of a'width equal to the di- Iameter ofthe' sleeve, as by so doing, the nose piece 'has'-a.doub1e engagement with [the sleeve;one on each side of the center thereof,

and a strong and durable connection is obtained, but'I- do not desire to limit the in vention in this respect, as a single slot as (Z maybe used and the nosep ece may be made into the sleeve" l i -o;

" Th'e combinatioo with a shaft, of'a second shaft, a; casi ng in which] said second shaft is A revolublg-rhans for supporting said second shaft hrf'said casing,means for securing said second's'ha-ft in fixed osition with relation to said casing'to ena 1e second shaft -sufliciently riarro'wfto pass through'this slotshaft 1) to the governor shaft a, with. the;

to befmoved with saidfc'asing 1n the direction of the length of said coupling for' automati'callyconnecting said shafts together by movement ofsaid casing toward the first-mentioned shaft, said coupling comprising a sleeve member movable longitudinallyon one'of said shafts and pro-5 vided at-one en'd with a -longitudinally ex;

.tendedsloha second member having a fixed relation tothe othefof said shafts and of a width-"greater than 'the inner'diameter of i said sleeve to enable it to'engage" one endof' to enter theislot therein to 'said 'sleeve and couple the two members together," and a in shown by a flange or collar 24 on. the tip ,spring cooperating witlf'the movable cou- ,strument from injurv ,when the coupling, member 21 1S screwed into its p a ie coupling member 28, which is soldered or otherwise fastened to the 1nstrumetit,-1.for

when the nose piece f abuts against the end f 4 of the sleeve 0 as the coupling member 21 is.v

pling membermto efiect engagement ofthe latter with the fixed coupling member-when the latter; registers with the slot' in said sleeve member,

V In a amon q aereani have signed my' name to this specification in the-presence of' I two subscribing witnesses. r I LEON" E. BLANCHARD. \Mitnesses': l

J As..H.% Cntmcm'm .I, M. MURPHY. 

